Is applying to Dental School more competitive this year?

[dentist_to_be?]

When I see people with good stats getting rejected on this board and my own experience, I feel that dental school is really competitive this year. I got into Maryland, but that interview went really well. However, I havent heard a thing from Temple and VCU, both of which are easier schools to get into and VCU is instate for me. There have been other schools that rejected me without an interview (UOP and Nova).

Just some advice for applicants for next cycle
- Even if you have a good gpa and DAT score, make your application as unique as possible. Just because you meet the average GPA and DAT scores from previous years might not mean anything next year.

- Also make sure you apply to lower end schools... dont let your ego get in the way, I think more and more people are applying, especially those with higher GPAs. For example, it seems as if Temple has gotten more competitive, I thought I would have been a shoe in for temple, but it looks like I will be waitlisted there.

My theory is that all these new reports coming out with dental incomes, are making med school wannabes apply for dental... thus making it more competitive. The weird part is, I have heard people say that number of med school applicants are on decline over the past few years

One of my interviewees told me that if he were to apply today, he wouldnt have gotten in... I have a feeling I will be saying the same thing five years from now...

I just wanted to put those on notice who will be applying next year. If I had known a year ago how competitive it was getting, I would have worked a lot harder to make my application impressive, as well as getting it in early as possible. I was kind of laid back about it, and luckily I got into one school, but I'm not sure in the future it will work that way.

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[niceteeth]

Well said dentist_to_be. Those are some very good advice for future applicants.

To continue your trend of extending help to those after us, I would like to add a few advice-

Once you get invited for an interview:
1) Do everything you could possibly do to prepare: read interview feedbacks on SDN, review your secondary and personal statement, read up on current dental news on ADA.org, mock interview, construct an outline of what you will say in response to obvious questions like "why do you want to be a dentist?" (don't prepare a whole speech and simply recite it) It's best to be overprepared and have confidence going into an interview.

2) During the interview, speak your heart out! Be passionate and truthful. Show enthusiasm, and let them know that this is the school you want to be. Body language is very important as well. Visit this website to learn more
http://www.collegegrad.com/jobsearch/15-8.shtml

3)Right after the interview, always ask for your interview's business card so that you can easily obtain their information for thank you card, as well as reaffirm that you are really interested in their school.


... I really didn't have much confidence while I was interviewing but I tried my best by doing all of the above. To my surprise, I got an acceptance to my two top schools (UCLA and PENN) way earlier than I expected. One, in approximately a week, and another, in 3 days. I hope my advice will come in handy. GOOD LUCK

 

[delicious]

- Also make sure you apply to lower end schools... dont let your ego get in the way, I think more and more people are applying, especially those with higher GPAs. For example, it seems as if Temple has gotten more competitive, I thought I would have been a shoe in for temple, but it looks like I will be waitlisted there.

Ahhh Temple.... Let me tell you about my experience at temple. Interview day was sort of a joke with those group interviews. Nice school I felt though. So, towards the end of the day, that hockey-puck Brian tells all of us that you are good enough to be accepted if you were selected for an interview. So he says: "let us know if you want to come here." I'm like WTF!! He gave us specific instructions to take down his email address, and to email him and tell him if you wanted to go to temple. I didn't really want to go there, but I blew $$$ flying to philly and staying over the night - damn strait, i was gonna get accepted there. So, I emailed him telling that temple was one of my top two choices (so it wasn't soo bad of a lie). It took a while, but my acceptance came. Had I said it was number 1, i think it would've gotten there earlier. WEIRD!!!

 

[delicious]

Hey dentist to be? , would you mind sharing your stats with us.

That way, people will be better able to use your advice. I applied last year, and I was so mad that I applied to so many schools. I wasted soo much money, and wasted so much time and my grades suffered. I understand it may be more competetive this year, but please share!!!

 

[dentist_to_be?]

Hey dentist to be? , would you mind sharing your stats with us.

That way, people will be better able to use your advice. I applied last year, and I was so mad that I applied to so many schools. I wasted soo much money, and wasted so much time and my grades suffered. I understand it may be more competetive this year, but please share!!!

I wrote an email to brian saying I wanted in, this was in january.

I applied to 11 schools. Three of which I withdrew my application (UNLV, Crieghton, and Arizona). UOP rejected me without an interiview. Nova I havent heard from, but someone said the last day of interviews was March 24th.. so Im assuming thats a negative. USC is still processing and I have interviews at Columbia and NYU...

I applied late October

Thats my story
*** I really wish Id applied early... I really wanted to be in Fort Lauderdale or sunny california next year... ***

 

[delicious]

Sure no problem... 3.4 GPA (Microbiology), 21/21/15 --> maybe temple didnt like my Pat score...

I wrote an email to brian saying I wanted in, this was in january.

I applied to 11 schools. Three of which I withdrew my application (UNLV, Crieghton, and Arizona). UOP rejected me without an interiview. Nova I havent heard from, but someone said the last day of interviews was March 24th.. so Im assuming thats a negative. USC is still processing and I have interviews at Columbia and NYU...

I applied late October

Thats my story

hmm.. that's weird. You emailed brian, and you have solid stats. Maybe you're right - it is more competetive this year.

Maybe your email wasn't enthusiastic enough. I think they're really looking for an email like:

OH MY GOD!! BRIAN, 144,000 PATIENT VISITS LAST YEAR!! NO SCHOOL TOPS THAT!! I HAVE TO GO TO TEMPLE. PLEASE LET ME IN OR I WILL JUST DIE. DR.BADVIBES IS MY HERO!!!!!!

 

[dentist_to_be?]

hmm.. that's weird. You emailed brian, and you have solid stats. Maybe you're right - it is more competetive this year.

Maybe your email wasn't enthusiastic enough. I think they're really looking for an email like:

OH MY GOD!! BRIAN, 144,000 PATIENT VISITS LAST YEAR!! NO SCHOOL TOPS THAT!! I HAVE TO GO TO TEMPLE. PLEASE LET ME IN OR I WILL JUST DIE. DR.BADVIBES IS MY HERO!!!!!!

What I wrote:
Dear Brain...
....As you said on the interview day, the school sells
itself. Temple University is one of my top choices, and I would be
honoured to be a student at this school....

I thought that was good enough... geez I guess next time I will put smiley faces... maybe that was what he was looking for...

 

[delicious]

Wow, I'm surprised to see so many people up at this time of night? Are you people on the west coast or something? Because it's 4:00AM here now, and I'm studying like a monkey.

Hey Dentist To Be? I actually think your letter to Brian wasn't good enough. Seriously. You were sorta vague with the whole "one of my top schools." That could be interpreted as anything (like 6 schools). I had thought about writing that, but then ended up saying "you are one of my top two choices." They really want a specific interest.

 

[dentist_to_be?]

Wow, I'm surprised to see so many people up at this time of night? Are you people on the west coast or something? Because it's 4:00AM here now, and I'm studying like a monkey.

Hey Dentist To Be? I actually think your letter to Brian wasn't good enough. Seriously. You were sorta vague with the whole "one of my top schools." That could be interpreted as anything (like 6 schools). I had thought about writing that, but then ended up saying "you are one of my top two choices." They really want a specific interest.

Its 4:00 AM my time too... I am suppose to be studying biochemistry... the most boring subject on this planet... why I saved the course till my last semister --> SDN just helps me procrastinate

You are probably right, the "..one of my top choices.." might have done it! I was just being honest, and I meant top three by the way...
Actually, I will call brian up tomorrow and ask I am now very curious to find out what it actually is. ---> and more procrastination tomorrow

if anyone has any tips on how to cure their senioritis, let me know

 

[delicious]

Actually, I will call brian up tomorrow and ask I am now very curious to find out what it actually is.

I'm gonna call up brian today too, and it's gonna go like this:

Brian: Hello, office of admissions
delicious: Hi, can a speak to that hockey-puck brian?
Brian: This is brian. Hockey-puck, what are you talking about?
delicious: oh.. nothing. Um, I wanted to ask you a question. I interviewed in january and haven't heard from you guys yet. When will I hear?
Brian: uh huh. Well, what's your name?
Delicious: it's Mr. Very Delicious, from calais Maine
Brian: I see. Well you didn't really send me an email saying that ...
Delicious: [interupting and screaming] hundred and forty-four thousand!!!!....hundred and forty-four thousand!!!!!....hundred and forty-four thousand!!!!!
Brian: Hey, what's going on here?! Why do you keep saying....
Delicious: [interupting and screaming] hundred and forty-four thousand!!!!....hundred and forty-four thousand!!!!!....hundred and forty-four thousand!!!!!
Brian: Alright, I've had about enough of this now...
Delicious: [interupting and screaming] hundred and forty-four thousand!!!!....hundred and forty-four thousand!!!!!....hundred and forty-four thousand!!!!!

haha, that'll teach him for making my group yell out 144,00 literally at least a dozen times.

 

[teetharecool]

my advice?

APPLY EARLY!


this point was driven home to me many many times -- even during interviews.
At my UMDNJ interview, my interviewer said something like...if you had only applied earlier (i sent my stuff in nov), you definitely would have been admitted. No official rejection yet, but she said their class was full..At my Columbia interview, my interviewer said "Why did you apply so late?"

yes to those applying next cycle..i'm sure people have told you this..but..
apply early..

 

[DDS2BE]

I second OP... dental school admission is on a roll-in basis... the earlier U apply, the more chances U get.